History of Jazz
Improvisational. Creative. Mischievous. Genius. Exciting. Unique. These are all words used to describe one of the most invigorating, influential and provoking genres of our time, Jazz. Jazz evokes human emotion in an array of different ways more so than another genre of the pre-fifties generation of music. Jazz can be upbeat, or sultry, fun or serious. This is due to the fact, that Jazz is the melting pot of elements of Ragtime, Blues, and marching band sounds. All that jazz actually began in the late 19th century down in New Orleans. This new sound that grabbed elements from the Blues and Ragtime, among other influences, and was most notable one of the most unique and intricate forms of music that anyone had ever heard. What made Jazz such a unique and interesting tour de force was its prevalent use of improvisation. This was the first time a genre bent the western musical archetype, and yet strangely it felt completely natural, more so than the premeditated music of the time. In the old formula, a composer wrote a song and the instrumentalists played it exactly as written, but with Jazz a group of musicians used the composed piece as a mere starting point from which to
With the discovery of Armstrong by Joe "King" Oliver, Jazz altered the definition of what music was, both popular and classical. The song could have easily been a popular song of the times, but by the time the group had collaborated they had formed a completely new, fresh and alive piece of music, that usually bore little or no resemblance to the original. Jazz seemed to capture the very essence of bliss and adventure that was a radical departure from music of that time. In early twenties New York, Louis Armstrong was not the only legend in the making, but also Duke Ellington made his move to New York form Washington DC as a composer. Jazz, like most other genres, is the product of the virtuoso African American musicians. it was a music that still relied on older Afro-American musical tradition, but one that had begun to utilize still greater amounts of popular American music as well as certain formal European traditions. This mix of watered down Jazz and soulful Jazz carried on from New Orleans, to Chicago, to New York and throughout the country translated into, the new Big Band and Swing sound. As Swing and Jazz progressed together, they formed a genre that dominated stages and radio stations across the country. "By the 1930's, Jazz was a music that had moved away form the older lowdown forms of blues. Some of these emerging cities included Kansas City, Oklahoma City, St. It was the recordings of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band that got the Jazz sound around the country. Jazz has maintained its appealing entreaty with three main characteristics, "Swing, individual code, and its ecstatic function. " (Garofalo 24) Since the racial barriers were too strict to break, mainstream Jazz was a watered down, and "white" version of something that was truly great. These subspecies of sorts were starting points for most kind of music that we hear today.
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Acceptance Essays
